HaberkipThe EU wants to host six Western Balkan countries from 2025. A bad joke? Rather, a clear message to potential newcitizens and geopolitical competitors.

Western Balkans: A new language for a new EU

The EU wants to host six Western Balkan countries from 2025. A bad joke? Rather, a clear message to potential newcitizens and geopolitical competitors.

2025 – This is year that is often heard in connection with EU se days. 2025 Union should grow. Serbia and Montenegro are to be odyssey. Later, four or western Balkan states will follow: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo. This is core of EU's western Balkans strategy.

Sure, many Europeans winced when y heard number 2025. The number of years in Germany is likely to spread particularly frightening. The EU wants to expand around Balkan countries? Now that you have so many difficulties with Hungary and Poland? Now that many are wondering wher it was wise to include Bulgaria and Romania? Expand? It must be a bad joke.

The EU wants to demonstrate its ability to act

The frightened can calm down again. 2025 is a date on which accession of Serbia and Montenegro could be possible. There is no automatism. This has been made clear by Commissioner responsible, Johannes Hahn, as well as his boss, commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. 2025 is not a guarantee for se countries on membership.

It may sound strange that Commission calls a date and rerelativs it. But it makes sense. The date sends out a clear message: EU is serious about an accession perspective for Balkan states. This message is primarily addressed to citizens of se six states, but it is also directed against EU's geopolitical competitors in region: Russia, China and Turkey. The Balkans are part of Europe and will refore become part of EU – not tomorrow and not day after tomorrow, but certainly in not too distant future. The EU wants to show that it is capable of acting in foreign policy. "Even Brexit has not been able to paralyze us! You have to reckon with us! "– that is implicit statement.

Little diplomatically packaged

Reading Commission's document on Balkan strategy is enlightening not only because of its content, but also because of language used. It leaves nothing to be desired of clarity. The situation of Balkan states is described relentlessly. There is talk of possibly "hijacked states", because border conflicts are called, and re is written, among or things, that "organised crime in Balkans is still strong, wher in human, arms or drug trade, re is risk of Penetration of political and economic system by criminals ". It's not clearer. And also ways in which all this can and must be overcome are clearly described. Without a promise, except this: our door is open, but you have to do hard work. There's little diplomatic packaging.

This clarity is not a formality. It is a sign of fundamental change. The EU traditionally used a soft, diplomatic language. That had good reasons. In a union of 28 states, verbal power is counter-productive. Those who want to stay toger cannot abuse mselves permanently without risking break. Externally, EU also practised in a civilized way of speaking. She wants to convince by arguments, not by sheer force. All this is nice wear behavior, but nice wear is over. The EU is threatened by its existence, both from inside and from outside. And it responds. You also recognize it in your language.